Kerala Chicken Curry

I learned to cook food from Kerala, South India, from my in-laws. This is a fantastic main dish for a South Indian meal, which should always be served with several dishes - see the footnote for suggestions.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 55 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 248 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• water to cover
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 8 fresh curry leaves (Optional)
• 2 teaspoons red chili powder
• 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts, cut into large chunks

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Drop in mustard seeds and cumin seeds, cover skillet, and wait until the mustard seeds have all popped. Add onion, ginger, and curry leaves. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, coriander, red chili powder, turmeric, and cinnamon stick; stir well.

Step 2

Add chicken and enough water to barely cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium or medium-low heat for about 45 minutes, checking every 10 minutes to make sure there is enough moisture in the skillet to keep the chicken from burning. Add more water if necessary. When the chicken is tender, season with salt and serve.